Apparatus for dispensing beverages



C. F. .CALLAHAN. APPARAFUS FOR DISPENSING BEVERAGES. V

APPLICATIO N FILED MAY 28 I921- Patented Mar. 14, 1922,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I aF. cam/um UM r C. F. CALLAHAN.

APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING BEVERAGES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 28,1921.

1,409,827. Patented r. 14, 1922.

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6.1"? CaZZa/mn UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

APPARATUS FOR DISPENSI NG BEVERAGES.

vSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

Application filed May 28, 1921. Serial No. 473,263.

To all 107mm it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES F'REDRIOK CALLAHAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State ofTennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for-Dispensing Beverages; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same. V

The present invention relates to improvements in soda dispensers, and more particularly refers to animproved device of this character in which a proper mixture of thecarbonated water and syrup, or extract, will be effected in the same operation with the delivery of these two ingredients to the glass or container in which the beverage is served. An object of the invention is to cause an intimate commingling of the carbonated water with he extract without requiring the attendant toQgo through the laborious and time consuming operation of stirring the ingredients after they have once been delivered to the container and to perform this mixing operation in a distributing head prior to the delivery of the contents to the glass. 1

Another object ofthe invention lies in providing a compact and simple mechanical construction of distributing head and valve including a mixing wheel or agitating fan in conjunction with a soda fountain or a slot machine which willdeliver a predetermined quantity of the syrup and a proper charge ofthe carbonated water to form a palatable drink on the insertion of a coin ofproper denomination.

"lvith these and1other objects in view the inventio'n consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of pa'rtsmore fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming apart of this application. and in which similar reference symbols indicate 'corresponding. parts in the several views:

' Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the proved -.dispensing device adapted to be applied .to a soda fountain. v

Fig. 2 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 1."

Fig. 3 is a View in front elevation of a portable slot machine embodying the invention.

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view taken through the machine looking at, right angles to Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one side of the distributing head.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view therethrough.

Fig. 7 is a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 6 and showing the parts in delivery position; and

Fig. 8 is a similar view with the parts closed off.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a tank mounted on wheels 2 for transportation to a suitable point. The tank is provided with a removable top 3 for permitting of the placement therein of a container 4 for carbonated water under pressure and a container 5 for extract or syrup. The tank 1 is also adapted to contain ice. (3 packed about the carbonated water and the syrup or extract, and the tank is preferably shown as a double wall structure to provide an insulating space to avoid a rapid interchange of heat. A drain receptacle 7 is provided beneath the tank to catch the drippings. A carbonated water delivery pipe 8 connects with the tank 4 near its base and extends to a distributing head 9 communicating with a passage 10 therein, shown more particularly in Figs. 7 and 8.

The syrup container 5 is connected at its lower end by a pipe 11 which conveys the syrup to a port 12 in the distributing head 9, which port is adapted to be placed by a passage 13 in a valve 14 in communication with second port 15 in the distributing head adjacent the port 12. This port 15 connects with a pipe 16 extending up beneath the syrup container 5 and connecting with the central part of a stand pipe 17. At its upper end the stand pipe 17 connects with the upper portion of the syrup receptacle 5 and acts as a return pipe: while at its lower end the pipe 17 communicates with a passage 18 in the distributing head 9.

portion '19 of the stand pipe 17 beneath its connection with the pipe 16 forms a measuring'tube, and is preferably of glass so that the level of the syrup may be observed therein, for instance, through an opening made in the wall of the tank 1. Adjacent the sight opening 20 is preferably a slot 21 in the tank 1 through which paper cups or other containers are delivered to customers.

At 22 is also shown a slot for the placement of a coin prior to the operation of the device.

The rotary valve 14 is'mounted in a cavity in the distributing head 9 which eX-.

tends transversely therethrough and is closed at its opposite ends by heads 24 and 25 respectively. The head 24 is screw threaded into the end of the cavity; while the opposite head 25 is preferably secured thereto as by the screws or other fastenings 26. The

. valve also contains a central cavity 27 in which is journaled a rotary agitating device 28 having a number of vanes or wings 29 each of which is curved after substantially an ogee. The spindle of the agitating device is preferably journaled at one end in the valve and at its. other end is a plate 30 which closes the recess 27, such plate being removably secured thereto as by the screws or other fastenings 31. An additional holding screw 32 also passes through the head 25 portion of the distributing head, such port 34 being prefer- 1 outer end to receive the actuating handle 39 ably an angled port adapted to deliver the syrup vertically downward through the agitatingdevice. A nozzle 35 projects downwardly from the distributing head 9 and is in communication with the recess 27 through a port 36. As shown more particularly in Fig. "6, a trunnion 37'extends from one end i of the'rotary valve 14 and through the head 24, it being reduced as indicated at 38 on its which is preferably provided with a ball 40 or some other appropriate handle.

In use, the carbonated water under pressure will be delivered through the pipe .8 to

the passage 10 and port 33 when, the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 7. The carbonated water issuing into the space 27 will strike the vanes 29 and result in the rapid rotation'of the fan 28. Simultaneously syrup in the stand pipe 17 is'permitted to How by gravity down into the passage 18 andto the port 34, from which it descends centrally into the recess 27 in the valve. Here it comes under the influence of the rapidly rotating fan 28 and is commingled and agitated with the carbonated water, thus forming an intimate mixture which is subsequently delivered throughthe nozzle 35 to the glass or container 41, shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to be resting upon a ledge 42 provided for this purpose beneath the nozzle. In this position it will be seen that the passage 13 is out of registry with the port 12. Consequently no flow of the extract from the receptacle 5 through the pipe 11 can'take place. This prevents syrup from passing directly in unlimited and unmeasured quantities to the glass 41; l

In other words, only so much. as remains in the stand pipe can descend into the glass 41, and a measured 1 supply is the result. However, the lever 39 is returned to the position shown in Fig. 8 after the glass 41 is full, causing the ports 34 and 33 to move out of registryv with their corresponding passages 18 and 10 andbring'the .passage13 into communication with both ports 12 and 15. A further flow of the syrup may then take place from the tank 5 through the pipe 11, port 12, passage 13,1 port 15, pipe 16 to the stand pipe 17. l The syrup will flow downwardly through the measuring tube 19 until it encounters the imperf-orate part of the valve 14. It then backs up and any surplus will overflow into the tank 5. The device is thus put in condition forasubsequentactuation.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown the device applied to a soda fountain in which 43 designatesthe syrup container placed upon a support 44 having a pipe 45 to deliver it clownwardly to the distributing or mixing head 9 which is constructed as above described. The carbonated water is, of course, kept beneath the fountain on which the column 46 is mounted, and such carbonated water is conveyed to the distributing head 9 in a manner already described.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such features ex cept as may be required by the claims.-

I claim: 1

1. In an apparatusof the character described, separate sources of carbonated water and syrup, a mixing valve comprising a casing, a hollow valve body movably mounted in the casing and having a central cavity, an

agitating fan'rotatably mounted in the cavity in said mixing valve and being rotatable independently of the valve, said valve and casing having ports adapted to register and beingdirected at substantially. right angles to the plane of'the blades of the fan, said ports being in communication with the source of carbonated water, and ports in the valve and casing communicating with-the syrup supply and leading to the cavity and to the fan, said valve and easing having exit openings therein, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a mixing valve comprising a casing, a rotary valve in the casing having a cavity in the central portion thereof, an agitating fan rotatable in the cavity in said valve and turning independently of the movement of the valve, said valve and casing having ports in communication with a source of compressed fluid suppl for directing a spray of fluid at substantial y right angles to the plane of the fan blades, said valve and casing having cooperating ports therein for circulating a supply of syrup therethrough, and a measuring device for the syrup in comunication with such ports, said valve and casing having further ports for the syrup communicating with the measuring device and leading to the cavity and to the fan, said valve and easing having discharge openings, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a mixing valve comprising a casing,

a'rotary valve in the casing having a cavity therein, means whereby said valve may be rotated from the exterior of the casing, means normally closing said valve within the casing but openable to permit removal of the valve therefrom, a mixing fan in the cavity of said valve turning independently of the movement of the valve, said valve having registering ports therein in communication with a source of carbonated water under pressure and adapted to direct such water against the vanes of the fan for rotating same, said casing and valve also having cooperating ports for circulating syrup or extract therethrough, a measuring device for the syrup in communication with such cooperating ports, said valve and casing having further ports communicating with the measuring device and leading to the cavity above the fan, said valve and casing also having discharge ports, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a mixing Valve comprising a casing having its side portions open, removable heads for closing the side portions of the casing, a rotary valve within the casing between such heads having a cavity therein open at one side, a removable plate for normally closing the cavity, said valve having means extending on the exterior of the casing for rotating same, a freely rotating fan in the cavity in said valve, said valve having registering ports in communication with a source of carbonated fluid supply for directing the fluid against the vanes of the fan, said casing and valve also having cooperating ports in communication with a source of extract or syrup supply, a measuring device in communication with the cooperating ports, said fluid and casing also having registering ports for conducting the syrup from the measuring device to the cavity above the fan blades, said valve and easing also having aligning discharge ports, substantially as described.

5. A soda dispenser comprising a distributing head in communication with a source vof carbonated water and extract'respectively,

said distributing head having a cavity therein and a nozzle leading therefrom, a rotary valve disposed in said cavity and having operating means extending on the exterior of the head, said valve having a recess in its central portion, a plate removably mounted over one end of said recess and an agitating device mounted in the recess and fitted at one end in said plate, substantially as described.

6. A soda dispenser comprising a distributing head in communication separately with sources of carbonated water and extract, said distributing head having a cavity therein and a nozzle leading from the cavity, opposite heads removably closing the ends of said cavity, a rotary distributing valve mounted in said cavity and having means on the exterior of the head for turning the same, said valve having a central recess, a plate removably secured over one end of said recess, an agitating device in the recess, and means passing through one of the heads and into said plate, substantially as described.

CHARLES FREDRICK CALLAHAN. 

